Safeties are unique because (a) they are nearly always recorded by a defense/defending team and (b) they are many ways to record them, yet they are relatively rare.
This page reports on the statistics about safeties over the past several NFL seasons. It includes total numbers for each segment of the NFL season, number of teams involved, the league leaders, a break down of the safeties by type, and some interesting notes.
2007 and 2008 also include a recipient of the Roy Riegels Fugly Safety Award. Named after the late Roy "Wrong Way" Riegels, who recovered a fumble in the 1929 Rose Bowl and ran 65 yards in the wrong direction (incidentally setting up a safety), the award is given to the individual responsible for the most atrocious safety in the tradition of Roy Riegels during that season. I am the sole judge for this award and my decision is final.
| Totals | |
| League-wide, regular season: | 21 |
| League-wide, postseason: | 3 |
| League-wide, preseason: | 5 |
The following stats only deal with safeties recorded during the regular season:
| Teams Recording a Safety: | 14 |
| Teams Giving Up a Safety: | 15 |
| Teams Doing Both: | 7 (Dallas, Detroit, Miami, Minnesota, New Orleans, Oakland, Philadelphia, San Diego) |
| League Leaders | |
| ... in Recording Safeties: | Baltimore Ravens (3) |
| Minnesota Vikings (3) | |
| New York Giants (3) | |
| Oakland Raiders (2) | |
| ... in Giving Up Safeties: | Green Bay Packers (3) |
| San Diego Chargers (3) | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers (2) | |
| San Francisco 49ers (2) |
| Safeties by Type | |
| Fumble* | 5 |
| QB Sack | 5 |
| Penalty in End Zone | 4 |
| Blocked or Botched Punt | 4 |
| RB Tackled | 3 |
The Roy Riegels Fugly Safety Award goes to ... Dan Orlovsky (QB) of the Detroit Lions. In the safety awarded to Minnesota in week 6, Orlovsky scrambled out of the end zone, seemingly unaware that NFL end zones are 10 yards long. This was a crucial play because it provided the margin of victory in Minnesota's 12-10 win. Furthermore, this was the Detroit Lions' closest loss; so arguably, Orlovsky's play cost the Lions their best chance of picking up a win in their horrible 0-16 2008 campaign.
| Totals | |
| League-wide, regular season: | 18 |
| League-wide, postseason: | 0 |
| League-wide, preseason: | 4 |
The following stats only deal with safeties recorded during the regular season:
| Teams Recording a Safety: | 15 |
| Teams Giving Up a Safety: | 15 |
| Teams Doing Both: | 9 (Buffalo, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Minnesota, New Orleans, Oakland, Seattle, Washington) |
| League Leaders | |
| ... in Recording Safeties: | Buffalo Bills (2) |
| Indianapolis Colts (2) | |
| Washington Redskins (2) | |
| ... in Giving Up Safeties: | Denver Broncos (2) |
| Minnesota Vikings (2) | |
| Seattle Seahawks (2) |
| Safeties by Type | |
| QB Sack | 7 |
| Blocked or Botched Punt | 6 |
| Penalty in End Zone | 3 |
| RB Tackled | 2 |
The Roy Riegels Fugly Safety Award goes to ... Brian Moorman (P) of the Buffalo Bills. In Week 15, Moorman's long snapper snapped the ball way over his head towards the goaline. However, instead of just falling on it, Moorman booted it – like a soccer ball – out of his own end zone for the safety. Recording this safety paved the way for Cleveland to win 8-0, the first time that final score appeared on NFL scoreboards since around the start of the Great Depression.
| Totals | |
| League-wide, Regular Season: | 12 |
| League-wide, Postseason: | 2 |
The following stats only deal with safeties recorded during the regular season:
| Teams Recording a Safety: | 10 |
| Teams Giving Up a Safety: | 10 |
| Teams Doing Both: | 4 (BAL, NE, OAK, WAS) |
| League Leaders | |
| ... in Recording Safeties: | Baltimore Ravens (2) |
| Tennessee Titans (2) | |
| ... in Giving Up Safeties: | Dallas Cowboys (2) |
| San Diego Chargers (2) |
NB: These just refer to regular season safeties during the times I have been keeping records, unless otherwise noted.
| Bests and Worsts | |
| Most Safeties, League-wide, in the Regular Season | 21 (2008, 2003) |
| Fewest Safeties, League-wide, in the Regular Season | 12 (2006) [during recording times] |
| 11 (2005) [for years I have records available] | |
| Most Safeties, League-wide, in the Postseason | 3 (2008) |
| Most Safeties, League-wide, in the Preseason | 5 (2008) |
| Most Safeties Recorded, Team, in Regular Season: | 3 (Baltimore, Minnesota, New York Giants [all 2008]) |
| Most Safeties Given Up, Team, in Regular Season: | 3 (San Diego, Green Bay [all 2008]) |
| Cumulative League Leaders | |
| ... in Recording Safeties: | Baltimore Ravens (5) |
| Minnesota Vikings (4) | |
| New York Giants (4) | |
| Oakland Raiders (4) | |
| ... in Giving Up Safeties: | San Diego Chargers (5) |
| Minnesota Vikings (4) |
| Teams Without ... | |
| ... a recorded safety: | Arizona Cardinals*, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| *Arizona recorded two in the 2008 Postseason | |
| ... a safety given up: | Atlanta Falcons*, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears**, Cleveland Browns***, New York Jets****, Tennessee Titans |
| *Atlanta gave up one in the 2008 Postseason | |
| **Chicago gave up one in the 2007 Preseason | |
| ***Cleveland gave up one in each of the 2007 and 2008 Preseasons | |
| ****New York gave up one in the 2007 Preseason | |
Longest Current Streak Without Recording a Safety, Team: Arizona Cardinals (1994)
Longest Current Streak Without Giving Up a Safety, Team: Carolina Panthers (2000)
| Cumulative Safeties by Type | |
| QB Sack | 12 |
| Blocked or Botched Punt | 10 |
| Penalty in End Zone | 7 |
| RB Tackled | 5 |
| Fumble* | 5 |
| Year | Regular Season Total |
| 2005 | 11 |
| 2004 | 15 |
| 2003 | 21 |